A bottle of Redpointe V&V whiskey glugged; the corners of the bottle sparkling in the bathroom’s electric lamp light as it was after midnight and all sources of electricity not standing autonomous were turned off via generators. Rich brown liquid sluiced around the bottle as the fluid level sank a full two ounces in one impressive pull.

Rose was currently in an enormous clawfoot bathtub on the top floor of the ranch house; holed up in a wood-paneled bathroom and nearly neck deep in milky water scented with cedarwood oil. She only wore her dousing cuff; the leather band never shrinking after getting wet and drying out and thus making it certain it never needed to be taken off under any circumstances. The ring of slightly irridescent white metal was currently inert and occasionally clinking against the ceramic coating on the bathtub when she needed another drink. So far, she’d been carrying this on for two hours, keeping a pace with the whiskey so as not to get too sloshed and filling the bathtub up with fresh hot water, milk and oil when needed.

What was the sentinel doing getting pruned in the bath tub for so long? Putting off the inevitable. It had been one month since she’d uncerimoneously been forced to decapitate Ciello Regalo via her 30.0.6; acting on instinct and endless training as she saw the woman raise a gun to her own daughter’s head and pull the trigger. While she had shot true and cleared everything north of Regalo’s collarbone with one of her self made Fleschette rounds, somehow, the body had still gotten the signal to pull the trigger. Meryl had been banged and blown through anyway— and somehow the kid had lived.

Those visions disturbed Rose. Meryl had been about the size Odine was currently; a few months shy of two, physically speaking. While she was pale where Odine was brown and her hair was dark where Odine’s was a strange heavily rose-tinged blond— they had similar springy curls. Sometimes Rose had nightmares where she herself was in place of Ciello; holding a Colt to Odine’s head and wearing a detached expression that didn’t even communicate malice.

And she’d jolt awake the moment she blew her own child’s head off. Every time she had this nightmare she was drawn to the basement where the cold storage was built in to its own permenantly engaged generator system and she’d fish the baggy of Regalo’s remains out of one of those stainless steel standing freezers and always quietly so as not to wake Sune’ere who rented a room a few doors down (especially on the nights she was climbing out of his bed) and would take a piece of bone out of the baggy and rotate it in her fingertips while trying to stave off some sort of panic attack.

Occasionally, she swore she could hear a still, small voice. Rose could never quite catch what it said.

Tonight, per tradition; it had been a month and change since the killing. It was the last night the bag of sparse remains: bits of bone, skin and a full lock of pale blond hair, would be in the freezer room for Rose to obsess over. They were taking the remains to a very important place deep in the Taiga— hundreds of miles from Redpointe and only accessible through a certain hard to locate anomoly in the coniferous woods down the path away from the compound. Stepping through it took them what they called “The Grounds”. A place where the conduits of power beneath their feet coalesced.

An hour later after Whinnie-Sloane had gotten fed up, knocked on the bathroom door and brought Rose out of her literal stewing session they were dressed for the deep cold. Spring was soon to arrive on the land and thus the deep freeze of the northern winter was lessening down in the evergreen valley and mountains but the snow pack had yet to pull back in the taiga. Rose hadn’t said a word to Whinnie— nothing cross or any complaining. She understood she couldnt put it off forever while the Blood Moon they needed hung huge in the night sky; its size amplified by the altitude of the land to look almost absurd and intimidating.

A blur in the trees where the trunks didnt line up was stepped through and Rose knew better than to try ‘pinching’ the door shut as it was one of the natural gates and not one she had created on her own. Immediately, they went from slightly chilled to frigid; all the dewey moisture on their faces immediately freezing solid.

Ahead, Lu and Gwenna were already present and waiting for the late pair. Still, no one complained...it was an auspicious event and required by a sort of law with the land itself. The North was owed something, a form of closure to a particularly important and powerful blood being spilled on the land. As soon as Rose pulled the trigger and saw the brain and blood splatter she knew this event would have to happen. She’d felt the rush of something.

“Are the corners ready?” From Rose. However, upon getting close to the makeshift sepulchur she saw that the four corners were indeed represented by a corresponding cairn, or carefully stacked river rocks. As soon as the Nepenthe stepped into it to deposit the plastic bag of remains upon the unlit pyre her dousing cuff roared to life; glowing blue and trying to yank her entire arm skyward by the cuff. The sentinels all seemed unphased— this happened every time they performed the sending off ritual.

It was ripe with power.

“Time to do it? Lets get a move on.” she'd say; picking up the dry bundle of straw and sage entwined with hemp to make a long, makeshift torch for lighting the pyre. A wave of her hand the little bit of natural witch's talent earned from her mother, Sparrow, engaged the bundle and lit it with cool colored flame.

It has been impossible to alleviate ones life of the Regalo once contacted. The woman in life had fallen down a long and tiring path of anger that lead to sorrow and eventually mere malice and disgust. Her soul was one that obsessed and for many years in her prime the obsession revolved around evolution and the betterment of herself in combat. Studying more then technique she had taken to advancement through genetic evolution and found a way to encode her own DNA with attributes. Her blood had overflowed with the essence of others she'd fed upon or stolen their genetics to study and adapt into herself as a catalogue of information and potential.

That blood that fed the grounds outside of Redpointe's Ranch house whispered for days to any whom sought to seek such power. Desperate to perpetuate Ciello would offer so many words and promises to those who sought what she could give. Strength, regeneration, mental fortitude, the elements, everything up to and including pure acceptable. That had been key at times to offer souls the simple loving embrace of one that would accept them and all their faults for what that are. Before she had her own children she had 'adopted' several in this way. Those who lived learned to despise her of course as it was all a facade. She would obsess over their potential nurture it and when in need, take it from them. When one proved useless she no longer would give them kind words not even turn her eyes to them to acknowledge their existence.

The thing about Ciello Regalo is she would disappear with time. When others turned their backs on her and no eyes looked upon her, no words spoken to her, no thoughts came about her; she would weaken. Perpetuated like a mere idea, a concept or obsession she would grow stronger and weaker based on the thoughts of those around her that paid the woman mind. In this final death where the woman had given up her resurgence to her daughter, Meryl, there is the very real possibility that she may never reform, never wake up and fade away.

Rose unknowingly becomes the savior to the spirit of Regalo lingering on the grounds with visits and contact and obsessive thoughts feeding the mind of the dead woman whom has not and will not pass. Without form she could only communicate through the mental connection offered to her. But what more real and raw form is there to commune then this? Bone moved under dexterous fingers and the purring whispering voice of the dead woman would come softly to Rose' mind. It isn't telepathy, it isn't ethereal or ghostly. Rather its akin to remembering words you've heard before but can't ever remember clearly. Still the feeling behind them is always clear. The feeling like hands caressing the brain, praising every thought Rose has and worshiping her ideas with motherly pride. Truly Ciello is a hateful malicious creature and in death her desire to tear apart those whom are content in life has grown. The smell of her matter is sickeningly sweet like infection mixed with alcohol and something else entirely.It smells wrong but it also smells intoxicating.

Ciello died but would not leave this place so long as mental and emotional stimulation was present to feed and influence her. Rose was not the only victim as blood soaked land introduced one mind into the hiveof energy spreading throughout Redpointe and the Taiga. Perhaps it is more accurate to say Ciello is not dead but rather has simply moved on to a new state of being.

The Grounds were cold in a dry way that made time seem still- it would have been comforting if Ciello had a body to enjoy that numbing temperature. To not feel physically had been a comfort she sought often in life. Energy overlapped and gathered naturally there to a startling degree. Such a send off would have been humbling could the unsatisfied spirit be capable of such feelings anymore.

MerylOf her own accord the child had left her home and the safety of the Zerephan and goat eyed woman raising her. Not even two years of age yet the girl stood as tall as any six year old! Overflowing with energy that was burning away inside her, fueling the code already written into her little body by her mother to mature quickly. Meryl was a sponge for information and her formative 'years' were rocketing onward with key bits of information already ingrained: family, loyally, love and acceptance. Personality flourished and the girl was providing to be an adventurous spirit as shown by the fact that she now was a world away from the Manor Reperiaris and walking booted little feet across Taiga towards Redpointe.

How did she know where it is? Rose of course! Something unspeakably wonderful happened that fateful day when Ciello shot Meryl, initiating karmic resurrection as a last laugh to the world. Redpointe energy and the Nepenthe's via her Servitor had flowed into the little fire bird. They connected and Meryl wanted desperately to see Rose and the other girls at Redpointe. Family was important and they felt like family though she didn't understand why. At her age she didn't question why either.

Bundled in layers of clothing, thermals, jackets, a poncho and thick knit hat, the six year old stopped in her tracks to blink deep blue eyes and look in two different directions. One direction would be Redpointe's compound and the other is where she would feel Rose to be. Timid foot steps moved her onward while she felt out options she could not understand but knew none-the-less. She could not get to where Rose was on the path she was on and so she continued to the Ranch.

Cutting the travel time and also providing escape from big scary things living in the Taiga around the Ranch, Meryl hopped forward with an enormous one foot hop scotch style leap and disappeared into a haze that took her from where she was and deposited her a hundred yards closer to Redpointe. "Boop!" Having traveled via shadows thanks to the shadow nanny Truffle, such forms of transportation were seen as normal to the child and on top of that, the anomalies 'made sense' to her in a way that is completely natural. If not for her connection to Rose and the land it would have been impossible for a girl so young to travel so far on her own. Yet here she was, Meryl Elric Zerephan-Regalo tirelessly traversing rugged land without any apparent escort. Although there was one. Of course Truffle came along to oversee this landmark journey for the little one. Truffle is out of sight though and giving Meryl control of her own adventure unless life or limb was risked.

Meryl would find herself seemingly guided by more than a sentient shadow being. When she was upon the land it seemed to sing out to her. There was a certain yearning; as if every one of the evergreens knew her name. No wards activated upon her arrival that would have forced her to be deposited more than five miles from the gates of the compound. She was allowed in, encouraged to stay as if she had been born upon it and tethered to it as intimately as Rose was herself or any Jann, true or by diluted bloodline that came knocking.

The little girl was ‘family’ as far as the power under the Taiga deemed it.

And so, no dousing cuffs still on the land would light up. Terpsichore was currently patroling and was assisted either by Sune’ere, the newest lad to work for his keep within the Redpointe sanctuary or Dian; a trainee and personal friend of Whinnie-Sloane’s with the same affliction as she. All other sentinels were much deeper into the north.

The ground hummed when Meryl’s little feet traipsed over it and if she were keen of eye sight and other senses she would soon pass a bitterly cold patch of wind much more frigid than her current environment. And only ten paces her feet— a pure white fox had appeared. It sat as primly as a house cat; unafraid of the child and its dark eyes were trained on her with an intelligence even her young mind may well be able to pick up on. Should Meryl step closer it would rise, turn landuigly in a full circle with a lush, bushy tail coursing behind it only to bound a few more paces away.

And in the moonlight it seemed to glow.

If Meryl got the hint and followed it would perform the same little dance. Sitting, waiting and then leaping away from her; drawing her closer to the same anomaly the Sentinels had stepped through only ten minutes prior. Up until it would sit in front of the window at the perfect angle for the child to see something was amiss with the tree trunks and their breaks at impossible, acute angles.

On the land, the northern lights were faint and obscured by the snow capped mountains. But a different view of the sky showed through the window: the Aurora was screaming with power under that sky and showering the glittering snow in bright pink, orange, green and even electric blow. The fox bound through the window and vanished. It was a clear invitation.

On the other side it would be Lu that spotted the white creature bounding toward them. It had distracted her from watching Rose light the bundle of straw and sage; her actions not only bringing their cuffs to light outside of the cairn-guarded gates of the sepulchur and the pyre upon it with Ciello’s minuscule remains— but it had summoned the aurora above. She’d watched it tear through the sky as if it might sunder it irreparably. Unlike Whinnie and Gwenna, this was her first ritual.

“Time to give up tribute.” From Rose who looked somewhat detached. This particular sending away seemed different as if something was eating her alive. There was a certain hesitation to her actions and yet she did not stumble over any of the steps. She was indeed a Nepenthe, somewhere between and both a siren and a trueborn witch. When she stepped forward she nearly stumbled over three little bodies circling about her feet.

Three white foxes were weaving around her legs with speed and gusto.

“If y’ don’t get your little goddamn— come on....” She’d say; lifting a leg only to have one of the fluff’s paw at it so rapidly its little arms were a blur threatening to shred the nylon weave of her thick, padded coverall.

Whinnie and Gwenna smiled but didn’t chortle. They wouldn’d dare disrespect the energy. While watching the little bit of comedy they took their bowie knives from their belts and severed each a lock of hair and then pierced their palms. Lu swallowed hard while watching and eventually found the courage to follow suit. All three passed the cairn barrier and deposited their tributes onto the pyre.

If Meryl had come through she would see them none too far off from the window and the wisp-fire would easily guide her to the group of lady heathens.

Meryl: Foresight was within her grasp but the child had no idea that she could reach out and grasp it. For Meryl, the extra sensory sight and feel of things came as naturally as breathing since she had experienced them since her 'rebirth'. Infants rarely carried true memory of their first few years and that was mostly true for this one. Instead her earliest memory had been one that was warm and surrounded by loved ones after her rescue fro Redpointe and the cruel hands of her mother.

Naturally she spotted the fox, though she had never seen one before. Deep blue eyes blinked at the fluffy creature that did not look scary as some things did, she learned. The white fox did a little dance of temptation and hopped away to guide her. It took the girl a moment before little boots tip toed forward and the fox moved on and sat, circled, then hopped onward beckoning. It was a game! "Ohh heehee." She knew games! This one was chase or 'catch me' and she played along while reciting many mouthfuls of child-like enthrallment and introduction. "Hi my name is Meryl Elric Zerephan. Sometimes Regalo too but not all the time. What's your name? I like red and yellow and sometimes metal too. Its a color. Did you know?" Endless words spilled from the girl as she followed her guide.

At the window where Sentinels had crossed she stopped her indecent chatter and tilted her head left and right to look through. "Rose is in there! And someone else. And someone else. And someone else. Are you Rose' friend?" Whether the fox answered anything she asked or not was fine. She was content to play with the helpful animal until Rose was found.

The invitation was sent when the fox guide leapt into the strange looking blur. Meryl did not hesitate but stip stomped her little feet together like a tiny power up before heaving herself through in a tiny leap. "Pshoo!-" Sound effects came to an abrupt halt on the other side and not because of the sudden company but because of the Northern Lights. The girl had never seen such an array of color, not even in her dreams. For a long moment she just looked up and others might have said something but she could not focus on them just yet. The brand new mind in the child was deciphering what she was seeing and looked to the ground then back up again before looking to the closest person to her- Lu. "Is that the- did the- is it a baby?? The sky and the ground made a baby???" Magnetic fields, solar flares, photons exploding in tiny bursts of color and light. How was a child meant to communicate how she was understanding it all?

Children lived in a state of awe and pure wonder. Meryl knew nothing of what was taking place nor whom the fuss was all about. However, what remained alive of Ciello recognized her daughter's presence immediately. Though soothed by the kind and honorific send off, the spirit of the cruel woman would not hesitate at an opportunity to lash out at the child she grew to hate from the start. Unable to physically do anything, there was so much more Ciello could do to the mind of the child and that she did.

Burning bone and hair, decayed meat and gray matter sparked with a surge of energy that would be the last. The ignited remains fueled the fire as if doused in gasoline for a moment to scream for all to hear. Meryl was her flesh and blood and for the moment that remained where Ciello's remains were burned to complete and utter ash there was a mental attack sent for Meryl several yards away.

She froze, becoming rigid with the memory of being shot, the memory of her mother's cruel face grimacing down at her, hating her, clutching her plump little face between thin fingers that clawed at the skin. A loud sound replayed in her head and she suddenly was screaming. Colorful lights, playful foxes and the comfort of seeing Rose would do little for the moment of panic that gripped Meryl. Her skin darkened as blood pumped from a racing heart. Black blood rushing to the surface of the skin and bleeding into the whites of her eyes and hair. Iris' of deep blue softened lighter then brighter until they became a fiery orange and the inside of her mouth started to become alight. Heat would lick off her little layered body as core temperature increased and the frost about her form evaporated into whips of steam that would freeze again several feet out from her person.

If there was any question as to whom this rouge six year old was, there would be no doubt for Rose and for Whinnie. They had heard this scream and seen the dark skin when the babe had gone aflame after death.

How was that possible? She wanted to glance behind her, but her feet were still being circled by foxes and she did not have it in her to start kicking at them. Instead, the Sentinel awkwardly stumbled to the left and slightly away from the cairn corners and their power— immediately, they left her alone. There was no time for the reason they’d cut her loose to click as all the girls’ faces were turning to the position behind Rose where she had been standing and preparing to lead the ritual.

There was indeed a little girl.

“....Meryl?” But, it couldn’t possibly be her. The last time Rose had laid eyes on the little one she’d not been too much older or bigger than Odine. In fact, the two toddlers had been akin to partners in crime; constantly screaming at or rather with each other, toddling around the house and knocking things over and babbling while slamming dolls together and playing goddess-knows-what. The child she’d turned her eyes to looked somewhere around five or six— and it had most certainly not been that much time since Rose’s nightmare in the forest.

Just as she meant to say something else the pyre behind the cairn barrier burst into flames. Or rather, not just the pyre but every square inch inside of the cairn’s barrier erupted into a columb of flame; it’s shape caged into a perfect square that shot several stories into the air. The sudden burst of power caused Rose’s dousing cuff to glow white hot as if she had her own personal neutron star attached to her wrist.

As for the barrier it wasn’t simple decoration as was obvious by now but a true act of sorcery. It was one of the few skills to date Rose had learned from her natural power and she was sure her mother, Sparrow, was somewhere out there in the world able to do the same thing with power hundreds of times more potent. And for the sake of potency, Rose would need to rise and sustain the barrier before Ciello’s post mortem psionic rage managed to break down the simple psycho-kinetic inertial barrier; which used her Servitor as it’s catalyst and the conduits throughout the planet as an engine. Inexperience made things complicated as always.

And there was another problem; the psychic attack could not be completely stopped by the cairn barrier and some of it; horrible images flooded her mind. It was more backwash from Ciello tunneling through her brain. Under the rage was disgust, disillusionment, nihilism….loneliness. Rose could not describe the rest of the emotions— they were not human, not recognizable.

“God, what the hell is wrong wit’ you!” bellowed Rose who seemed unaware that she was also wailing in agony herself, along with parts of what the dead woman had sent out she was reacting strongly to the wash of what made Ciello who she was...and for a moment she thought she understood why she harbored such loathing for her child. Or did she? It was gone as soon as it had come. Meryl would be unharmed unless she saw fit to try and force her way past the stacked rocks and the Nepenthe’s power. The latter had tumbled back onto the deep snow and was, for lack of a better word, ugly crying. Rose also tore at her coverall and seemed to be trying to rip her clothes away.

“It’s hot, it’s fuckin’ hot-” would be all the discernible words the other panicking femmes could hear from Rose. Whinnie had taken it upon herself to run to Meryl and, if allowed, pick the girl up and shield her eyes from the flaming column and what Rose’s breakdown. Gwenna seemed frozen in place after approaching the writhing, twisting woman in the snow— she didnt understand why Rose insisted it was hot. She did was not on fire, steaming or anything of the like. In fact, she was shivering and soon sobbing while the pale blond sentry spread and hovered hands over her without the slightest idea how to help.

Lu took it upon herself to be dutiful and summon her own Servitor; a many angled sigil that burned violet inches above her palm where it floated and did not have “other sides” — the strange design looked the same and two dimensional from every angle. She was a descendant of the Maarid bloodline and a half Djinn species herself known as the “Teuredour”. Effectively, she was the only other one present capable of holding the barrier. It would continue to roar high into the sky until Ciello’s will to harm ran out, or, she became uninspired.

What a mess.

“Don’t look, kiddo. We’re gonna stand back ‘ere, okay?”From Whinnie-Sloane who, while backing away with Meryl if she’d been allowed to pick her up; looked on in horror; completely confused as to how everything had so suddenly become a damned madhouse in the Taiga. As for the foxes? They were nowhere in sight, strangely enough. Had they fled due to the sudden violence?

What was wrong with her? So so so much. The dead woman had grown worse and worse over the years. The last ditch effort to hold herself together had been attempting to love Angelo and have his offspring. She found the Knight to be a worthy distraction and investment but on that day that she observed him fighting Arcerion she saw so much more potential. The greatest sin of the Knight in Ciello's mind was his refusal to just fucking kneel. Regalo served and they took pride in serving those stronger then them. Only those worthy to command them. When Angelo refused to yield to the Exercion it set Ciel on a path of sickness and hate for the man who's offspring she bore. After that, her demise was ensured as disappointment in the man became an obsession to destroy him.

So much so did she want to ruin the Knight that she would have sold their children to Arcerion just to watch Angelo suffer in seeing the children kneel. Though this didn't come to pass.

So much so did she want to hurt Angelo that she designed Meryl to be reborn in death so the girl would suffer forever. As for the twins; she let Angelo name one: Sillent Sune'ere Zerephan after grand-father and dear friend. Ciel insisted on naming the second after Angelo himself; Angelo Aaron Zerephan the second. At the time it might have seemed endearing, even loving. In reality she designed Sillent to be the stronger more stable boy that she would give affection to. Baby Angelo was designed weak and emotional, lacking mother's affection entirely.

Angelo died before so many plans could come to pass but she could still have taken out her disappointed rage on Angelo Junior to satisfy that cruel desire in her. That was the plan at least. Until the opportunity came to royally fuck up multiple happy lives in the same instant it ended her own.

The gun Angelo gave her was unused except for twice. The first time was alone in her Lab where she tested her daughters resurgence. The second was at Redpointe with El Tentazoine Zerephan as a witness standing in for the fallen Angelo. If she couldn't make him suffer anymore then she would make the son and his likeness suffer watching Meryl die and scream as life was forced back into her.

The unfortunate suffering Rose was put through was unintended but rest assured the dead Regalo was grinning like a cheshire in the aftermath of it all. Chaos always did sate her mind. Stillness is what was truly maddening in this world.

What is wrong with her? What fucking wasn't?

" Thou shall know me by my fruit.The voice spoke from the remains. Promising and warning of the long term plan that always was. Fire surges up the square within the cairn corners held fast by Lu whom stepped in with her Servitor. The remains would burn fast. There was little left of the woman and there was no more fight in her to prolong this event. The psionic attack was gone swiftly like so many of Ciel's thoughts or emotions; that energy just ceased to be and she submitted to the Sentinels and the Land giving her rest. Perhaps not gone but she would sleep for now and possibly never awaken. It would be easy for her to forget to wake, to fight, to rage.

Someday though she could wake. Sparked by thoughts of her. Thoughts and emotions given off of others in the future when the many fruits of her labor have harmed them, wronged them, destroyed something they love. Regalo roots do not run deep but they run wide. What connected them had always beena dn always would be Ciello Regalo: Our Heavenly Excellence.

Meryl cried ugly too, matching Rose' pace with small high pitched screams like a Little Hawk singing in as well. The child did not dare move and quickly there were arms on her and she huddled in close to this person. Her skin remained a dark charcoal with blood close to the surface and threatening to call upon her inherited power that had yet to be tapped. She huffed and took deep breaths in a noticeable effort to calm herself. which was very mature! "D-don't hurt her!" She was afraid her mother was hurting Rose and it made her heart panic and drum painfully hard.

Whinnie spoke and Meryl nodded where her head rested near the woman's chin. "Okay." For all the madness and excitement it would settle with Ciel's submittance. Lives were touched. Words were spoken. The calm would be allowed return.

Last edited by CielloRegalo on Sun Apr 17, 2016 5:17 pm; edited 1 time in total

“Oh, fuck you…we’ll see about your goddamn fruit. I’m her sworn protector now,” from Rose who was finally calming down and made her weighty declaration. She could just barely hear Lu say “Christ…” as Ciello’s remains gave one final, horrible burst of white hot fire and then the heat died in a flash. Lu didn’t even have to be asked; she kept the servitor active and the barrier intact, moving around the outside of the cairn corner’s to pick up the hair which had been dropped by Whinnie-Sloane, Gwenna and Rose. After, the dark skinned girl stepped carefully into the barrier with a wary express and searched the ashes for even a fragment of bone. If there was nothing left, she’d have to make due and tangle the hair and drying blood into the ash before lighting the pyre again with nothing else but a hand gesture.

Lu could be heard softly chanting “I bind you Cien- ...Ciello Regalo, from harm toward us and harm to your heart” over and over again. Who knew if a simple entry level tethering would work— Lu, while being a true Jann just as Rose was didn't have half a natural bloodline belonging to a sorceress even if she was adept at a bit of the metaphysical.

“Watch ou-” As, meanwhile, Gwenna had finally ceased to panic and was trying to help Rose sit up only to be partially warned before the other sentinel heaved to her opposing side and vomited nothing much more than whiskey into the snow. In the background Whinnie-Sloane grimaced; trying to soothe Meryl with one of the songs of her people, the Nannahute tribe, where she originated. The entire group slowly coalesced around the circle again and Rose, shakily, got to her feet and even almost stumbled once.

“Hey, Baby Girl…” she’d say; wiping her red eyes and finally seeing Meryl up close. Rose was a mess with tangled hair now powdered with snow and the moisture in it freezing rapidly. To say she was a touch bedraggled was an understatement. “Y’ got big, didn’t ya? Keep it up and we’re gonna have you on a Helion with a cuff on y’ wrist in a year.” and she allowed herself to laugh a bit. Better than crying.

“Miss Mom knows how to throw a fuckin’ party even in death, I tell you what.” Trying to stifle her sniffling,she tightened her coverall and fastened velcro and zipped any seams she might have loosened in what felt somehow like a heat stroke. But it had come from inside of her body...no way to cool that down by losing a few layers. All the girls seemed nonplussed by Meryl’s skin tone. They’d seen something like it before anyhow and Rose herself had witnessed the effect on that infamous day. “Y’ can let her down, Whinnie.”

If she did, Rose would drop to a knee with her forearms loosely crossed over it; eyes still moist and waiting for the little one to approach at her own pace. If she did, she couldnt help but get a bit motherly with her; straightening her brown curls and wiping her Meryl’s with her palm and the pad of her thumb. It did occur to her how uncharacteristic it was for her to be more than professional with a child that wasn’t hers, but, there was now an undeniable connection with Meryl. Could have been trauma bonding...or something entirely different and metaphysical. Only time would tell.

“Meant what I said. I don’t know how y’ got here an’ I aint gonna ask. But the land knows you. An’ I protect the land.’

Remains burn with fire bright and chanting words warding off the hateful dead. No hair is spared nor splinter of bone. Ashes would remain until there was nothing left that would burn. Whether Lu's chant does indeed ward off Ciel's silent soul or feeds it is unknown. All was quiet so one could easily assume that she had passed completely.

Native song distracted the traumatized girl and filled her with growing wonder. Glowing yellow orange eyes lifted to Whinnie-Sloane whom made a face when Rose threw up. Small gloved hands come up to touch Whinnie's face and watch her mouth pronounce words she does not know. It sounded so different! And it made her feel a lot better to hear music which Meryl adored. Manor Reperiaris had been full of loud music both from the radio and live performances that they all participated in.

Visibly she relaxed and the color palette of the child paled from the dark skin and hair back to its medium peach state. Eyes of glowing embers dimmed and deepened into oceanic blues. Meryl gave a big huff as if to breathe out her stress before Rose spoke up and caught her attention.

Attention fixated on Rose who had sweet words for her and exciting opportunities promised by her continued growth. Helion? "A pony?" she inquired with endless inflection to show interest. She didn't yet know what a cuff was or what part of her her wrist was but hey it was probably something really fun and cool too. Anything Rose wanted to gift to her would be treasured.

Mention of 'Miss Mom' made the girl close her mouth and blink softly downward. She didn't want to talk about her or what had happened. Meryl doesn't have any specific memories of Ciello but a handful of vivid moments of feeling terrified, uncomfortable and hurting were there when she thought of her mother's smell or voice or her harsh grasp. Even as a baby she often flinched and looked away so she could not recall her mother's face to match up to these nightmarish memories. That was a good thing.

While the internal heat produced by the little fire bird tormented Rose for a time it was a different story for Meryl herself. It kept her warm in the rugged Taiga along with her many layers. And since she had the potential to catch fire since birth she hadn't developed a fear of the element. Rose' discomfort regarding the heat therefore is not understood. Especially since the Nepenthe had fire in her belly. Whiskey!

Lowered to her snow boots she instantly stepped closer to Rose with eyes tracing the woman's face. Gloved hands mirrored what Rose' did and touched the dark skin of her bonded Protector. Wiping thumb under her eyes to remove anymore moisture and gently petting her hair as if to fix the mess that had become of it. Meryl looked a bit motherly herself at this time and it was probably because since they were bonded she felt more like Rose then like they had created a faux mother-daughter connection. For a short time their energy and minds mingled as one and Meryl saw the world and the Land through Rose' perception.

"I walked here. And a white pillow aminal showed me here to you. She explained in a way that she expected everyone to understand. She'd never seen a fox before but it sure did look like a right huggable pillow on skinny tiny legs! "I can protect it too. I have a bow." Sincerity from a child whom was two years old, appeared six yet felt like an even older soul then that. There is no joke here. She has a fucking bow and she means it. But also she's down for braiding hair and playing tea party. Ya know, whatever they need her for. "I wanna go home and see Odie." Odie and aminals. These are not typos.

Whinnie-Sloan seemed unbothered by the child turning black and boasting those eyes. Being a Redpoint sentinel, or hell— just a cognitive native of Sanctum in general— meant one constantly saw all sorts of strange things and they all got filed away into the new ‘normal’. Thus, there would be no flinching or disruption of her song when her face was pawed by small, hot hands. She’d let Meryl down without a fight and watched her toddle over to Rose before gesturing for the other girls to leave the pyre behind and follow her back toward the gate.

“Yes, darlin’...a pony. You seen ‘em before...big pretty black ones?” from Rose who was still trying to recover before Meryl, sweet little thing that she was decided she was going to clean her face as a favor. The sentinel let it happened and even offered the young one a crooked, wan smile. “A fox, kiddo. Those are white foxes. Aren’t they cute?” even though they hadnt been all that adorable when they were tangling around Rose’s legs and trying to topple her.

“C’mon, up-up. Lets get back an’ you can have all the time with Odie an’ the Aminals you want once the sun’s up.” She’d gather Meryl onto her hip before standing again, admitting silently to herself that she found the child’s presence comforting even though the image she presented was likely protective and matronly as usual. The pair would follow several paces behind the rest of the crew.

“You have a bow? Is ‘at right? How’s your shootin’, mama? You stay over tonight I’ll take y’ out to the Redpointe pier and we’ll fire some off together. I ain’t as good with a bow as Khooey was, but I’m decent. An’ you ought to learn how to slap your own arrows together.”

The journey back to the house would involve more cute conference time with Meryl Zerephan. She really had somehow managed to become bonded with the girls and quickly at that. However, Rose wouldnt miss Lu consistently gazing back at them with obvious wariness in her eyes.

Lu had every reason to be suspicious and worried. She was a sharp one, she’d heard the voice in the ashes and she’d felt the power, the hatred...and the triumph.